Overdosed Kalk ... >.< Things died.
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skriz
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No, that's precisely what not to do. The best thing you can do is a massive water change. Trying to play chemistry will only lead to a much bigger dissaster.
Occum's razor: the simplest solution is most often the most correct.
We often try to over complicate things in this hobby. I'd be willing to bet that most issues are due to this overcomplication. You'd be surprised what water changs alone can accomplish.
I am sorry to hear about the losses to the system! You hate it when anything dies, but it was an honest mistake.
I appreciate the post... I am just getting into the Kalkwasser world, and this is a good reminder to be careful. I am planning on using it with my top off system.
I appreciate the post... I am just getting into the Kalkwasser world, and this is a good reminder to be careful. I am planning on using it with my top off system.
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tim your a good man and sponsor. even though its not for me i would like to thank you for offering that. once again it shows what this forum is made of.
I disagree here. Once you get things dialed in and have precautions in place it doesn't have to be watched 24/7. I have zero problems using it in an ato with a ph controller and have done so for many years as have others. The reason I run kalk is stability and to be able to leave the tank for periods of time. If I didn't run kalk I would either have to run dosing pumps or a calc reactor. If I left the tank for 2 days and came back and didn't run any of these options my alk would drop from an 10.5 to an 8.5 in 2 days.
Good luck getting things back to normal. The PH spike is temporary. Turn the lights out next time and keep them off for a day, that will help the ph spike as well. As for using Kalk and a top off, it's not a bad thing at all if you have the set up for it. For example with the skimmer over skimming and the top off kicking in, keep your skimmer in the sump and don't use an external collection jug. If my skimmer over skims it just goes back in the tank....dirty yes...does it hurt anything if the skim mate goes back into the water...no.
Now if the tank cracks and the top off tries to keep filling your S.o.l, but your done if you have a top off or not.
I love Kalk because it keeps my ph at 8.2-8.3 all day and night and it adds calcium. I evap over a gallon a day and it's replaced with saturated Kalk. Alkalinity is steady at 9. maybe set your drip rate real slow so this doesn't happen again.
Now if the tank cracks and the top off tries to keep filling your S.o.l, but your done if you have a top off or not.
I love Kalk because it keeps my ph at 8.2-8.3 all day and night and it adds calcium. I evap over a gallon a day and it's replaced with saturated Kalk. Alkalinity is steady at 9. maybe set your drip rate real slow so this doesn't happen again.
skriz
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Haha! A lot to learn you have, padwan!
Disagree here <u>bigtime</u>. Using it in your topoff is one of the safest and best ways of dosing kalk. A topoff system will does kalk slowly and over a 24 hour period. Dosing manually doses a concentration of kalk over a VERY short period of time; exactly what you DO NOT want to do with kalk.
If you're relying on personally monitoring all aspects of your tank, you will never enjoy it.
+1. I have a few things in place that I think helps the "safety" of the setup. I make sure I use a really slow top-off pump. I also make sure the PH probe on the controller is up flow and rather close. This doesn't allow very much (a few seconds) at a time to dump into the system. Also if I don't plan on being away from the tank long I don't put much top-off in the reservoir. Usually I don't have any more than 2 gallons in the reservoir so even if all the other protective measures fail than it only dumps 2 gallons at most into the system.
I love the stability of the setup. Right now I know that my PH is sitting right at 8.24, alk is sitting at 10.4 and my calc is a solid 460. I know without even being home and that piece of mind is great.
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I dose my kalkwasser 24/7 manually I suppose, it drips out of the reservoir that is topped off automatically. It took a while to tune the drip rate but is just under the evaporation rate. So to say dosing manually doses in a short period of time is inaccurate but probably common. If I were to dose with my present topoff system it would dose about three gallons at each event. My 24/7 method is much more stable then an auto top off method for my situation.
The introduction of vinegar to lower a tremendous ph spike in your tank is not that complicated if you can follow simple directions, no more than mixing the saltwater to the correct salinity and temperature. The method is usually used in emergency situations when new saltwater is not available.
The introduction of vinegar to lower a tremendous ph spike in your tank is not that complicated if you can follow simple directions, no more than mixing the saltwater to the correct salinity and temperature. The method is usually used in emergency situations when new saltwater is not available.
You are right on! I think that the ATO is the best way to dose the kalk... .
I am setting up my ATO, and I like the idea of just a couple of gallons in the reservoir... that way, if something does go wrong, it minimizes the potential for disaster :thumbs:
skriz
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How do you have your ATO setup that it dumps 3g a shot? I've never seen one that has to waot so long to dose. Most top off regularly & in small amounts, so the ato method is the best & most stable.
You can also install safegaurd with an ato system (controller to shut it off I ph is above a certain setpoint), which you can't do with manual dosing.
I'm a huge proponent of redundant safegaurds whenever possible. Manual dosing does work, but there's something to say @ the safeguards with ato dosing.
Worst case scenario, the ato pump sticks on & you have an unlimited supply of kalk. You'll nuke the tank. BUT, take the kalk out of the equation & you've still nuked the tank by freshwatering it.
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The same safeguard you put on an auto top off can be applied to a constant drip kalk addition <u>same controller ,same solenoid</u></em> are used except you take out the possibility of pumping large amounts of kalk in at once since everything is designed to drip at a very slow rate ,another safeguard. The main concern is usually the high end needle valve closing up and slowing the drip after six months of not cleaning, another built in safeguard (not planned). I use two needle valves for redundancy. This method is safer in my opinion since a pump and switches are taking out of the equation and gravity is used which is much more reliable than the aforementioned .
I cannot elaborate on the adjustable top off system I use since I am investigating applying for a patent but the reason it supplies 3 gallons at a time is the quality of the water is a little better since my rodi unit doesn't cycle as often . The top off unit only activates about every 3 days. so there is even less chance of over dosing with fresh water (another safeguard). I did set the drip rate based on the summer months evaporation rate so the winter months do allow for more top off activity. The 3 gallon addition of freshwater in my 300 gallon system doesn't change the salinity in a detectable amount.I believe this method is more stable since it is not effected by the evaporation rate that changes during the year on most tanks. The kalk addition is the same through out the year as with a ato it changes with the evaporation rate.
I will not make a blanket statement and say this the best and most stable method but it has worked for three years now flawlessly.
Occ<u>a</u></em>m's Razor...
Occam's razor, entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem</em>, is the principle that "entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity" and the conclusion, thereof, that the simplest explanation or strategy tends to be the best one.
Occam's razor, entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem</em>, is the principle that "entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity" and the conclusion, thereof, that the simplest explanation or strategy tends to be the best one.
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Sounds like some ancient Latin speaking person could not grasp anything beyond 1+1.
